The overall goal of the this project is to understand how cells and tissues respond to environmental stress. Glucocorticoids are primary stress response hormones and chronic evaluation of glucocorticoids due to prolonged stress and/or chronic therapeutic intervention can lead to detrimental actions on human health. Thus studying their actions and signaling pathways is critical to the mission of NIEHS. We seek to understand how glucocorticoids signal in a cell specific manner. These hormones regulate multiple aspects of physiology including glucose homeostasis, protein metabolism, skeletal growth, connective tissue metabolism, respiratory function, immune surveillance and components of human behavior. They are essential for life in man.